by Cornelius Van Til
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
"Defending the Faith" by Cornelius Van Til is a thought-provoking and insightful collection of essays that engage deeply with the philosophical underpinnings and challenges of Christian apologetics, particularly from a Reformed perspective. Van Til, a towering figure in Reformed theology and apologetics, embarks on a mission to delineate the distinctiveness of the Reformed approach to defending the Christian faith, urging that this approach is not just a theological commitment but extends to how Christians defend their faith intellectually and practically.
The series, originally published in Torch and Trumpet in the early 1950s, explores several key themes central to Christian apologetics. It opens with a clarion call for a distinctly Reformed methodology in apologetics, stressing that a Reformed Christian must engage in apologetics in a manner that is consistent with their theological convictions, emphasizing the sovereignty of God over all aspects of life, including human reason and understanding.
Van Til insists on the authority of Scripture as the foundational premise for the Christian apologist, arguing against both Roman Catholicism and general evangelical approaches that tend to compromise on this authority. He boldly claims that only a Reformed approach, which holds the Scripture as self-authenticating and supreme, can adequately defend the Christian faith against its critics.
A central argument in Van Til's essays is the necessity of the Creator-creature distinction, which fundamentally shapes the Reformed apologist's engagement with unbelievers. This distinction is not merely a theological nuance but a pivotal concept that influences how one perceives reality, human knowledge, and the possibility of knowing God. Van Til asserts that without acknowledging this distinction, apologetics falls into anthropocentrism, where human reason is unduly elevated, undermining the authority and transcendence of God.
Van Til does not shy away from challenging the prevailing notions of neutrality in reason and facts. He argues that there is no neutral ground upon which believers and unbelievers can stand, as all facts are God-created and interpreted within the framework of God's revelation. Thus, apologetics cannot proceed by attempting to establish common ground that presupposes the autonomy of human reason outside of God's revelatory Word.
The essays further consider the implications of Reformed apologetics for understanding general and special revelation, the proofs for the existence of God, and the defense of the faith against both non-Christian philosophies and compromised Christian positions that fail to uphold the sovereignty of God in all things.
"Defending the Faith" is a passionate appeal to embrace a method of apologetics that is faithful to the Reformed tradition and the Scriptures. It challenges readers to reconsider the foundations of their apologetic method and to engage in the defense of the Christian faith with a renewed commitment to the lordship of Christ over all aspects of life, including the intellectual domain.
This collection is a must-read for theologians, pastors, students, and lay Christians interested in the robust defense of the Christian faith. Van Til's engaging style, rigorous argumentation, and unwavering commitment to the Reformed faith provide a compelling case for the distinctiveness and necessity of a Reformed approach to apologetics.
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Table of Contents
Defending the Faith
The Believer Meets the Unbeliever
Needed: A Consistent Witness
The Authority of Scripture
Special & General Revelation
Proofs for the Existence of God